Resilient wheel.



S. F. WILLIAMS. BESILIENT WHEEL. APPLICATION P 061. $6. 1915.

' Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

UNITED STATES STEPHEN F. 'WILLIA'MS, F DEPEW, NEW YORK.-

RESILIENT WHEEL.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEPHEN F. VV L- LrAMs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Depew, in the county of Erie and },State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels,

of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to a spring or resilient wheel for automobiles and the like,

which has loop-shaped fiat spring spokes connecting the hub and rim.

The ob ect of this invention is to provide J a resilient vehicle wheel that cannot be disarranged in use, which is simple in construction and easy to assemble, which may be produced at low; cost, and which is adapted tou'se solid or hard tires in such manner as to positively secure the same against circumferential slipping.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of the Wheel with parts thereofremoved, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line. 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary circumferential section taken-on line-3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary longitudinal section, taken on line 4-4, Fig.1.

Similar characters of reference indicate {correspondingparts throughout the several views. v

-1 represents the hub of the spring Wheel adapted to slip over the end of the vehicle axle and be secured thereto;in any suitable manner, the same, as shpwn, being provided with a conicalbore 2 and a keyway 3. The

rear end of this hub is provided with an in-' tegral annular flange 4 provided'with a circular row'of bolt holes 5 which pass longitudinally through said flange adjacent to its peri hery. In front of said flange and integral .with the hub is formed an annular abutment i .6 which is provided on its periphery with a circumferential row of longitudinal locking grooves or notches 7. Arranged radially around this annular abutment are a plurality of horseshoe-shaped fiat spring spokes each spoke comprising two legs 8 connected at their outer ends byacurved bow and each leg having its innereud provided with 'a foot 9 that lies circumferentially along the. eriphery of the abutment. The feet of the egs-of each spring project toward each other and are provided at their opposing ends with inwardly projecting toes which engage with oneof the grooves 7 in the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 16, 1915.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 56,178.

rangedin one of the notches 30 between two cap flange sections, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

40 represents a plurality of segmentshaped retaining blocks arranged in an an nular row concentrically around the hub and engaging its front and rear sides with the inner sides of the hub flange. and cap disk while its outer and inner sides bear respectively against the outer side of the feet of a spring spoke and the innerside of the cap flange, and the opposite ends of the block engage with the inner parts of the opposing inner sides of the companion legs of a spring spoke.

The bodies of a number of bolts 10 are passed through the longitudinal bolt holes 5 of the hub flange, through openings in the blocks 40 and through the openings of the cap disk, the heads and nuts of these bolts bearing against the outer sides of the hub flange and cap disk and operating to hold these parts together. When thus assembled the spring spokes are prevented from sliding circumferentially on the annular abutment by the toes of the spring spokes engaging with the walls or shoulders 4 on opposite sides of the longitudinal grooves 7. l urthermore; the toes on the spokes and the recesses 1n the abutment which receive them facilitate the assemblage of the parts and thereby reduce the cost of production.

The felly or rim of'the wheel preferably comprises a rear body ring or section 16, and a front retaining ring 17 normally arranged concentrically relatively to the hub, said body ring being comparatively wide and provided on its front 'side with a rabbet 18 and the front retaining ring or section 17 being narrower and seated in said rabbet of the body ring, these two felly sections being preferably detachably connected with each other by a plurality of longitudinal spoke groove is provided with a centering recess 22 and its inner wall with a locking recess erably curved and tormed concentricallj. so that they may be cut by the same tool.

'34- represents a plurality of outer spoke retaining blocks o't' crescent-shape one of which is arranged in each ot the spoke grooves of the telly and engages its inner curved side with the inner curved wall of the respective groove thereby producing a space between the outer curved outer side of saidblock and the outer wall of said groove which tapers from its opposite ends toward the central part thereof. This block is held against circumterential displacement in the space groove by means of a locking lug or key 35 preferably tormed integrally on the inner side of said block and having a curved face which engages with the correspondingly shaped locking notch or recess 33 formed on the central part of the inner ,wall oi said spoke groove, as shown in Fig. l. The several outer spoke retaining blocks are further held in pl: ce by passing the bolts .1 through the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Those parts of the body rings of the telly between the spoke receiving grooves are preferably hollowed out, as shown at .12 tor the sake of lightness and the other bolts 20 of the telly preferably pass through these spaces, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

On its outer side each outer retaining block is provided with a centering lug or projection 26 which is arranged opposite the centering recess 22 in the respective spoke groove, the outer side of said centering lug being curved concentrically with said recess and forming therewith an ott-set seat in the central part in the respective spoke groove. On the crown of the bow of each spring spoke the same is provided with an outwardly oft-set centering loop (32, preferably of curved form. In the assembled position of the parts the centering loop (S2 of each spoke lits tightly in one of the oil-set seats formed between a centering recess 22 and a lug 26 while those parts oi the bow of each spoke on opposite sides of its centering loop are free to play radially in the tapering. end parts oi the spoke groove as the spoke bent more or less under the load on the wheel when in use. Ry this means a reliable coin ection obtained between the tering with the tree action of the latter. and

23 both of which recesses are pret'-' spokes and the telly which ett'ectively "ents circumferential displacement telly relatively to the spokes without i:

also enabling the parts to be machined and fitted properly at comparatively low cost.

011 the periphery of the telly is prete ably mounted a tire 27 preferably at solid rubber, although the same may be ot a other suitable type. it desired. "lhe tel-red means for securing this tire t telly which are shown in the drawings prise two hook-shaped clencher llanges '29 ot' annular toim :\l'1;1]l i "tll on the out edges of the front and rail telly rings. r

ii) arranged on opposite sides ot the has: portion of the tire. as shown in Figs. l and 2. So that the tire may be prevented from sliding circuiutcrentially in the rim. an anchoring strip 31. preferably of metal is cemented or othcrwi-'='= secs l to the base of the tire, which strip is provided on its" inner side with a number of anchoring or locking lugs 32 adapted to engage a number of anchoring or locking notches Iii; formed in the inner edge of the telly ring 1!.- in such manner that the strip with its tir may be slid rearwardly onto the telly rin ll; and.interlocked therewith. ()n the non traction wheels of the vehicle this anchoring means for the tire may be omitted but it is of value where power is to be trans-- mitted.- It will be noted that the arrangcment ot' the spokes is such that they stand up under the powerful torque action incidentupon suddenly starting the vehicle and the entire construction is dura le and read ily dcmountable should either the tire be come worn or any replacement as parts hecome necessary.

1. A resilient wheel comprisiiig a hub. a plurality of horscshoe-shaped spring spokes having theirlegs at their inner ends secured to said hub and each provided on the bow at its outer end with a radially projecting oft-set, and a rim provided with a plurality of seats each of which engages with the in ner and outer sides of the oil-set of one of 11 said spokes.

2. A resilient wheel comprising a rim haw :ing a plurality of seats. a hub havingan annular abutment which is provided with a plurality of recesses. a plurality of horsm shoe-shapcd spring spokes secured with their bows to said seats and the legs o'l cacli spoke having teet projecting toward each other and resting with their inner sides on said abutment and provided with inwardly pro-'- jecting toes engaging with one of said rccesses, and retaining blocks sccuredto the hub and each bearing against the outer side of the teet and the inner side of the legs of one of said spokes.

3. A resilient wheel comprising a rim having a plurality of seats, a hub having an .annular abutment which is provided with a plurality of recesses, a plurality of horse- 'shoeshaped spring spokes secured with their bows to said seats and the legs of each spoke having feet projecting toward each other of said spokes, an annular flange arranged 15 on said hub on one side ofsaid blocks; a cap arranged .on the hub on the other side of said blocks and provided with a flange'engaging with the cuter side of said blocks and having slots which receive said spoke legs,

and bolts connecting bl0cks,cap and hub flange. 4:. A iesilient wheel comprising a hub, a rim having a plurality of curved spoke grooves each of which tapers .from its ends inwardly and is provided centrally with an oft-set seat, and a plurality of horseshoeshaped spring spokes each of which is secured with its legs to said hub while its'bow is arranged in said spoke groove and is provided with an off-set loop which engages with said oil'-set seat on the rim.

5. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, arim provided with a plurality of curved spoke grooves each of which is provlded on its outer wall with a centering recess, plurality of curved retaining blocks each engaging with the inner wall or one of said grooves and provided on its outer side with a centering lug opposite the corresponding centering recess and forming an ofi-set centering seat therewith, and a plurality of horseshoe-shaped spring spokes each of which has its legs secured to said hu 'while its bow is arranged-in one of said spoke grooves and has an off-set loop which is arranged in said centering seat, a

6. Aresilient wheel comprising, a hub, a rim provided with a plurality of curved spoke grooves each of which is provided on its outer wall' with a centering recess and on its inner wall with a locking recess, a plurality of curved retaining blocks each arranged in one of said spoke grooves and "engaging its inner side with the inner wall of said groove and provided on its innerside 55 with a locking key which'engages with said locking recess while its outer side is provided with a centering lug arranged opposite said centering recess and forming therewith; an off-set centering seat, and a plurality of horseshoe-shaped spring spokes each secured with its legs to said hub while its bow is arran ed in one of said s oke rooves and is provided with an offset centering loop which engages with said centering seat.

7. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a rim provided with a plurality of curved spoke grooves each of which is provided on its outer wall with a centering recess and on its inner wall with a locking recess, a, plu- 7.0 rality of curved retaining blocks each arranged in one of said spoke grooves and engaging its inner side with the inner wall of said groove and provided its inner side with a locking key which engages with said locking recess while its outer side is provided with a centering lug arranged opposite said centering recess and forming therewith an oil-set centering seat, a plurality of horseshoe-shaped spring spokes each secured with its legs to said hub while its how isarranged in one of said spoke grooves and is provided with an offset centering loop which engages with said centering seat, and bolts securing said retaining blocks to said rim.

' STEPHEN F. EV .LLIAMS. 

